Be More Orca

This is the last episode in this season, it's hard to believe we've done 25 episodes, but here we are. So I thought I’d wrap things up as I began back in February by telling you a bit about me and where I’m at in my menopause journey and what I've learnt along the way by talking to the amazing, vibrant , funny women I've had on the Pod, the wonderful Dr Katie and all my other brilliant experts. I've upped my movement, concentrated on what and how I eat and tweaked my HRT. Obviously each of our Menopause journeys are as unique as we are and this is just a snap shot of mine (so far!). I know it isn't over, it's a marathon not a sprint and sometimes it feels like a daily uphill struggle. But thanks to making this Pod and gaining the understanding of what's happening to me and what I can do to help myself, I am in a far better place than I was a year ago. I hope listening has helped you to. See you back here for Season 2. If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and more tips on navigating your menopause Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking to my 5th inspirational Orca - Kate Muir, creator and producer of the “Davina Documentaries” for Channel 4 and author of the incredible book “Everything you wanted to know about the Menopause but were afraid to ask”.  Kate as you can imagine, doesn’t shy away from tackling the big stuff, our chat ranges from HRT and whether we need Testosterone, the racial and socio-economic injustice and misogyny that’s rife in medicine, to the glorious reboot menopause can and should be. She’s just so knowledgeable and passionate about the menopause, I adored chatting to her. She's a force to be reckoned with that isn't done with the fight yet. Thank god for us all we have people like her in our corners. Kate's website https://katemuir.co.uk/ Book she mentioned "Divided: Racism, Medicine and why we need to Decolonise Healthcare" Dr Annabel Sowemimo The Smile Starter @thesmilestarter - Jill McLaggan Menopause charity https://www.themenopausecharity.org/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and more tips on navigating your menopause Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking eye health with optometrist Harps Kular and how our fluctuating hormones can affect our eyes. She’s seen a huge rise in the number of menopausal women coming to her with dry eye (which surprisingly isn’t what you’d think) and how her own struggles with perimenopause and not being taken seriously by her GP, has allowed her to really connect with her patients and give them the space to be heard about their menopausal symptoms.  Harper & Cooper Opticians  https://www.harperandcooper.co.uk/our-team Balance app https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and more tips on navigating your menopause Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we navigate this time of our lives it becomes clear that looking after ourselves is more and more important. What we eat is vital and can even help with our symptoms.  In this episode I’m talking to Menopause Nutritionist Karen Newby, author of the brilliant The Natural Menopause method. We discuss how just tiny shifts in our lifestyle and diet can make huge changes in the way our bodies cope with our fluctuating hormones to help us sail through our Menopause. She's full of really down to earth, practical advice. With no fad diets and no lecturing! You'll find her book, "The Natural Menopause Method: a nutritional guide to perimenopause and beyond", information about her 1:1 Clinics, her fabulous day retreats and so much more at https://karennewby.com/ Or follow Karen on Insta @karen.newby.nutritionist Supplements we talked about - Biocare, Viridian, Bionutri, Vivo Life, Bare Biology, Cytoplan, Wild Nutrition, Higher Nature, Biotics Research Corporation. Neither Karen nor myself are affiliated with any of these companies. If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more tips on navigating your menopause Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I get all political and fired up with Diane Danzebrink founder of the Make Menopause Matter campaign and Menopause Support, a not for profit organisation, full of help and resources. We’re joined by Andrea Swan, her office manager, to talk about how they’ve gone from chats round Andrea’s kitchen table to lobbying Parliament and educating future generations. Would that we all had their passion and determination. Let's pick up Diane’s fight to push women’s health further up the agenda and the urgent need for a Public Health Campaign so we can all be armed with the information we need to deal with our own Menopause. The easiest way is to sign her petition, click on the change.org link below to add your voice, so that future generations are taught what to expect and get the care they need from medical professionals.  Sign the Petition https://www.change.org/p/make-menopause-matter-in-healthcare-the-workplace-and-education-makemenopausematter Menopause Support - amazing website with so many resources https://menopausesupport.co.uk/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode of BMO. I was approached by an amazing organisation, Family Action, who help to transform lives by providing practical, emotional and financial support to those experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across the country.  They asked me to be part of their World Menopause Day and I leapt at the chance. 1 in 10 women leave their jobs because of their menopause symptoms. That’s a truly shocking statistic and I’m sure that the majority of those would have stayed if they’d had the right support at work.  That’s why I’m so thrilled that Family Action have chosen to highlight the importance of understanding the Menopause and helping their staff navigate it. In this episode I’m joined by colleagues Nicola and Sue to talk about their experiences.  They've both gone down the non HRT route to deal with their symptoms but from very different starting points. Family Action  https://www.family-action.org.uk/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking to my 4th inspirational Orca, Emma Kennedy, author, actress, former lawyer, brilliant cook, downright renaissance woman! After being hospitalised with heart palpitations she realised her Menopause, which she smugly thought was done and dusted, wasn’t done with her yet. She was wearing a heart monitor as we spoke! She has decided even with her family risk of Breast Cancer to go on a low dose of estrogen and it’s changed her life. We also talk about discovering she's got high cholesterol which has meant her love affair with cheese and wine is finally over, but it’s opening up a brighter future.  6 pack revolution https://thesixpackrevolution.com/  Emma's Drink recommendations 0.0 Guinness Lyre Dry London spirit Clausthaller - lager  If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m continuing to discuss breast cancer with Dani Binnington who started her brilliant Podcast and organisation Menopause & Cancer after her diagnosis at the age of 33. We talk about how she coped with her very aggressive triple negative cancer and a young family, how the discovery of her BRCA gene led her to decide to have a double mastectomy and later surgery which brought on a medical menopause.  She learnt to self advocate and went from being mute in her doctors appointments to being an empowered patient with her tool box of movement, nutrition, hormonal and non hormonal medicines and above all taking care of her mental health.     Dani's brilliant Pod https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-menopause-and-cancer-podcast/id1631842514 Menopause & Cancer website https://menopauseandcancer.org/ Facebook Chat Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub/ Professor Annice Mukherjee - Complete Guide to the Menopause Future Dreams, Breast Cancer Charity https://futuredreams.org.uk/ Trek Stock, supporting young people with cancer https://www.trekstock.com/ Peaches Trust, Womb Cancer Charity https://peachestrust.org/ Macmillan https://www.macmillan.org.uk/ Breast Cancer Now https://breastcancernow.org/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m back talking to the wonderful Dr Katie as we carry on looking more closely at Menopause and Breast Cancer. She explains how to give yourself a proper breast exam, which I’m certainly guilty of not doing and we look again at the risks associated with being on HRT.  We discuss the difficulties that can be brought about by a medical or surgical menopause and how we need to make sure that women going through this can have a conversation with a Menopause Specialist so they know what’s likely to happen. We also look at the non hormonal treatments as no-one should feel there aren’t any options available to them and we (excitedly) discuss the new NK3 receptor drugs which could be a total game changer for non hormonal treatment of hot flushes and vasomotor symptoms.  FDA Approve NK3 Receptor Antagonists https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-drug-treat-moderate-severe-hot-flashes-caused-menopause Breast Screening Unit search https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/breast-screening-services NHS leaflet Breast Cancer and How To Spot it https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/03/Easy-read-breast-cancer-leaflet.pdf BMS TV https://thebms.org.uk/publications/bms-tv/ WHC Breast Cancer Fact sheet https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/01-WHC-FACTSHEET-BreastCancer-NOV2022-C.pdf Daisy Network for early Menopause https://www.daisynetwork.org If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is the first of 4 episodes looking more closely at Breast Cancer and the Menopause. I’m talking to the irrepressible Suzanne Bull MBE about her estrogen positive breast cancer diagnosis in 2020 and being thrown into a medical menopause. How all that coupled with her disability made it doubly hard to pick apart her symptoms and add a global pandemic into the mix, it gave Suzanne some really tough conversations and hard choices. But as ever, she came out fighting.  Suzanne is founder of Attitude is Everything, a charitable organisation which connects disabled people with music & live events industries to improve access together.  www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk Check out Suzanne's blog themusingsofspu.com, Insta @suzannebull71, Twitter themusingsofspu Find Dr Liz O’Riourdan here https://liz.oriordan.co.uk/ BMS article on NK3 receptor antagonist treatment https://thebms.org.uk/2020/07/new-non-hormonal-treatment-for-hot-flushes/ Disabled women’s collective https://www.sisofrida.org/ If you want to Be More Orca head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking to my 3rd inspirational Orca, Katie Day, author and motivational speaker. After her precocious puberty at the age of 5 and then a crippling menopause where she found herself contemplating ending her life, she's dedicated her life to helping women navigate their menopause and most importantly embrace their midlife. She’s passionate about how this time of life can lead us to becoming a better version of ourselves, more powerful and potent than ever. Katie’s so brilliantly positive about life as a post menopausal women I guarantee you’ll finish this Pod with a smile on your face, ready to tackle the world! RDP International Midlife Matters Training Course http://www.rdp-int.com/index.php?&pgid=200 Katie's Tedx Talk "The Roar of the Menopause" https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_day_the_roar_of_the_menopause_jan_2019 BMS find a specialist https://thebms.org.uk/find-a-menopause-specialist/ Women's Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we’re gripped by our Menopausal symptoms it can feel like the world around us is caving in and our jobs that we were totally on top of can suddenly feel overwhelming. In this episode I’m talking to Sally Neale, Chief Human Resources Officer for a multinational about how even minor tweaks and adjustments in the workplace can have a huge impact. To ensure when we're struggling with our symptoms we feel supported to stay in the workforce, as we have so much to bring to an organisation.  How daily swimming helped with her plantar fasciitis and mental health, that she chose to deal with her Menopausal symptoms with herbal remedies and what works for her and how walks with her dog keep her sane. Sally is such a positive person, would that all employers were as caring and employee focused. She's full of sensible little adjustments that we can all take on board in our lives. If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m chatting about the importance of movement with Personal Trainer Nikki Faldo who specialises in Peri to Post Menopause. How we should shift our focus from weight loss and looking younger, to a mindset where the goal is being more mobile, feeling stronger and being healthier to power through this next stage of our lives both physically and mentally.  How little and often to fit it in around our day is the key rather than setting ourselves unachievable goals which just set us up for failure. We do some myth busting of the world of "menopausal workouts" and Nikki explains how the very act of learning new exercises fires up our synapses and so is great for cognitive health as well as physical. Nikki set up “Empower, strength through Menopause” to help women realise how to move and exercise in this stage of their lives. You can find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nikki.hughes.357 or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mindbodystrong9/ CIMSPA https://www.cimspa.co.uk/ Burrell Education https://www.burrelleducation.com/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all know that navigating the early stages of our menopause can feel impossible at times. The symptoms sneak up on us and get subsumed into the stresses of our everyday lives. Having someone to talk to can be a lifeline and in this episode I’m chatting to Lou & Lize, 2 lifelong friends about how much they helped each other recognise the crazy early symptoms. Severe wind anyone!?  How they tried every supplement and lifestyle change before going down the HRT route, but it wasn’t the fear of cancer that made them delay starting HRT, it was the fear of hitting a brick wall and not getting the respect they deserved at the GPs. But actually they discovered things are changing for the better and the reality wasn't that bad. Moody Month app - https://moodymonth.com/app If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all heard the horror stories of GPs dismissing menopausal symptoms and women being gaslit or refused treatment. Understandably we can be put off from going to get help. And if we do get to see a GP sometimes it can feel as though our knowledge is more up to date than theirs. In this episode Dr Katie discusses how things are slowly changing and how it’s up to us to do our homework and take ownership of our treatment and to not be afraid to state what it is we want. And she has some amazing advice on what to do to make sure get the most out of your appointment. We need to become the experts in our own menopause. We need to Be More Orca. British Menopause Society https://thebms.org.uk/ Women's Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/ Balance App https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app/ If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking to my 2nd inspirational Orca, Carol Decker, 80s legend best known for fronting T’pau about her lifelong struggle with her hormones. Accidentally discovering she had osteoporosis and what she’s done to combat it, and the joys of rediscovering her sex life. To keep up to date with what Carol and T'pau are up to visit https://www.tpau.co.uk/ or follow her @tpaucaroldecker If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/ or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s easy to feel invisible as a woman at this stage of our lives. We don’t see ourselves in our books or on our screens, but Jo Heap is a women on a mission to change all that. She saw her Menopause as a chance to reinvent herself and follow her dreams of being a writer. She’s fascinated by the stories of women over 50 and determined to show what life is really like for us.  London Hormone Clinic https://www.londonhormoneclinic.com If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to bemoreorcapod.co.uk or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm talking to Jo Darling, an acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner who’s passion for helping women through the Menopause led her to create Menopoised, a little magnet which helps to alleviate hot flushes. And we discuss how acupuncture can massively help us during Menopause and that we should all be embracing the ancient Chinese practice of Yang Sheng - the nourishment of life. Which focuses on how we eat, sleep, rest and most importantly our mindset. So we can live well and live long into our 2nd spring.  If you want to try any of Jo’s gorgeous products https://www.menopoised.co.uk use discount code ORCALOVE15 Jo’s latest course is “Discover Your Signature Energy With Bazi” - Understand yourself and your health on a deeper level. https://www.menopoised.co.uk/pages/treatment Five Palm calm https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq2ESraMNuS/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= British Acupuncture Council website https://acupuncture.org.uk If you want to join in head to bemoreorcapod.co.uk or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm back talking to Dr Katie and we’re looking at the alternatives to HRT that your GP can prescribe. We discuss how certain antidepressants can actually help with hot flushes and night sweats, rather than the fear of just being given them as a misdiagnosis of your Menopause. How Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be a game changer and she casts her medics eye over some of the herbal remedies and what to be cautious about.  https://www.womens-health-concern.org women’s health concern website   https://www.menopausematters.co.uk Menopause matters website https://www.daisynetwork.org Daisy Network for POI rpharm.com for herbal. Katie sent it to me https://bhma.info British Herbal medicine association  https://nimh.org.uk National institute of medical herbalists  https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/02-WHC-FACTSHEET-CBT-WOMEN-FEB-2023-A.pdf WHC factsheet on CBT  If you want to join in head to bemoreorcapod.co.uk or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’d like you to meet the indomitable Natalie Beresford, who was at the top of her career working as a Frontline Response Inspector for Thames Valley Police and felt like she'd finally arrived at a place where nothing could phase her. But then her Menopausal symptoms crippled her and her world fell apart. She was determined that no women would ever experience what she went through. She’s worked tirelessly and her legacy is that TVP is now an accredited Menopause Friendly Employer. There are so many take-homes that you can implement in your workplace.  If you want to join in head to bemoreorcapod.co.uk or follow me @be.more.orca  Presented and Edited by India Fisher Produced by James Whittlesea Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio Music by Scott Billings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.